This volume, edited by William Hammerstein, encompasses lyrics from Oscar Hammerstein's entire canon; from the early "Indian Love Call" written in 1924 with Otto Harbach and Rudolph Friml, to
his final song, "Edelweiss," written with his long-time collaborator Richard Rodgers in 1959. Oscar Hammerstein's introduction, Notes on Lyrics, has been an acknowledged classic text for
musical theatre enthusiasts since 1949 and remains a definitive work today. To say Oscar Hammerstein II made a significant contribution to the art of lyric-writing is understating the case. He,
with his lyrics, and his collaborators, with their music, rewove the fabric of the musical theatre for all time.